Vandusen Gardens

While down in Vancouver entertaining friends visiting from the UK, we were fortunate to end up in Vandusen Gardens.  It has been a while since I last visited these botanical gardens and as ever I am in awe of the majestic trees to the perennial flower beds and rose gardens.   It is always a good opportunity to refresh my memory on some of the more unusual perennials.  First up “Bears Breeches” (acanthus mollis) with its striking spires of flowers.

 Another plant that caught my attention with its spiky silvery leaves was “Sea Holly” (eryngium ); a good drought resistant plant that can survive in areas of poor soil.

There were many different variety of poppies but I particularly liked the red and purple veined one as well as the ruffled pink poppy.

There were arrays of heliopsis as well as verbascum (muellin) that radiated in the sunlight.  

I was pleased to discover too some old favourites, i.e. the blue cornflower, larkspur and crocosmia (which flowers well along the coast).

 

 

 

 

 

I could ramble on further as there were so many different types of both perennial and annual flowers in bloom.  So I will finish off with a couple photos of astrantia major and a photo of a bee happily feeding on a drumstick primula.

 

 

Even if  you are not a keen gardener Vandusen is certainly a lovely spot to visit where you can have a quiet moment in the bustling metropolis of Greater Vancouver.  Very worthwhile.